A/N: In case of emergency disclaimer that disclaims my ownership of PJO and/or HOO. That is to say I own neither since Rick does.
Chapter 9: Notorious Noir
Any ill will towards the wolf that had single handedly (Paw-edly?) taken the campers to pieces in capture the flag was quickly replaced with appreciation. The Hephaestus cabin loved him since he curled up in their forge asleep burning with platinum flames. Due to some curiosity on one cabin member's part they found that the flames caused a unique reaction in metals, making them sharper and stronger but still light and unnervingly well balanced. Loud protests were heard from the forges when Noir packed up and traded places to go sunbathing…on top of the Demeter cabin. Most of the cabin was okay with him just relaxing but when energy started pulsing into the plants around the area they were overjoyed. Everything blossomed more quickly than usual and flavors developed to epic proportions. Currently the camp was hauling in excess mortal cash from the overstock the Demeter cabin had. Katie Gardner, in her appreciation, had borrowed a brush and spent the greater portion of an afternoon lounging about with the wolf and grooming him. The pleased rumbling he got from him made her happy enough but the surplus was there for a reason. Every plant went into overdrive, even the strawberry fields were blooming like crazy leaving nymphs and satyrs scrambling about crazily trying to keep up.
When the older campers were busy and the younger ones had nothing to do, it was becoming a normal sight to see Noir bounding around with the kids perched on his back, or using his tails as an impromptu water slide into the lake. Percy had abandoned Ancient Greek classes when he saw the wolf doing all kinds of crazy water tricks at the lake, making huge floating balls of water with tunnels connecting them all for the kids to ride through. Annabeth couldn't even be bothered to try and keep up with her (boy) friend when he hit the water. She knew there was no hope especially when the older campers kind of shirked their duties to join as well. This caused noir to drop the whole ensemble, before resuming it on a grander scale at the sound with more than enough space for the whole camp in the massive water wonderland.
Needless to say Percy didn't head in until he absolutely had to, while Chiron stood at the beach mouth wholly agape.
"I don't suppose we could borrow him for a while?"
Artemis shot him a rare grin, "Nope!" With a pop in the P and a skip in her step she made her way back to her cabin where Noir laid, happily basking in the sun with Thalia curled up into his side as well. She couldn't help but marvel at the effect the wolf had on the camp, her Hunters, and herself. She had been quite out of character in recent times, smiling more than she had in a long time. Even being warm to males, well only Percy really since he was always nervously respectful around her but still entirely sassy and sarcastic with Thalia. Their banter always amused her, even in all their teasing and insults she could see the care and sibling love that had developed between them. Lily had taken to Percy easily since he was always goofy and brotherly towards her.
"If I'm honest I've always wanted a sibling. I've thought about before, a little brother to goof around with or a little sister to spoil." His smile was heartwarming as he watched Noir lope and flip around with her on his back. Green eyes sparkled with mirth as he tackled Thalia and began to tickle her, eliciting a tirade of colorful language between squeals and giggles. None of the Hunt even bothered to look disdainfully as he leapt off her and took off cackling wildly as she gave chase with a grin swearing all kinds of bodily harm against her cousin. It was turning into one of those days that you just sat around and enjoyed the people you loved and cared about.
"A pity it won't last long unfortunately."
Noir's voice startled her, but the grim tone suggested that it was not a statement of fact but more of a prediction. "What aren't you saying?"
"Only what I shouldn't out of fear of consequence. All that can be said is a battle will ensue. Time wise I can't be specific but at the rate I keep being allotted time to talk by the boss man suggests I'll be needed soon enough. I dread that fact since you will most likely be facing something stronger than typical, or something you can't get involved with."
Artemis took his sombre mood in stride and let that revelation sink in. She still allowed herself the pleasure of the peace for the time being.
"We'll move out tomorrow, complacency won't help an as much as this is a well-deserved break we need to get training. Lily has developed well when it comes to strategy and her archery is making impressive progress but her knife work is still weak."
"Should I be worried about you teaching 9 year olds how to handle knives?"
She shot him what would be a withering look, were she no straining her neck to look up to the cheeky wolf. She expected a smirk but what she found was radiant pride in his eyes as he watched Lily. She was currently helping tickle Percy after Thalia finally caught up with him. The three of them rolling around, tussling, and wrestling; being pointedly more gentle for Lily's sake. They eventually collapsed giggling and talking happily. Annabeth walked over to talk to Percy about something and was quickly pinned and tickled for all she was worth mercilessly by the three compatriots. She and Noir shared a chuckle before heading out to meet them as they ran around just ahead of an irritated looking Annabeth, who despite her disheveled hair, was smirking chasing Percy who was just behind Thalia with Lily on his back. All of them giggling like mad till they ended up in front of Artemis who had a grin on her face with hands on her hips.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing to my maidens Perseus?"
He allowed a nervous chuckle but her teasing was cut short when Lily yelled, "Noir! Quick while she's distracted!"
She had enough time for her eyes to widen before she was in a similar position as lily had been, suspended mid-air facing a grinning Noir. "Don't you even-"
She didn't get to finish the sentence as the few left over Hunters, Percy, and Annabeth were treated to the rarely heard sound of Artemis's tinkling laughter being forced from her by multiple dextrous tails. By the time the onslaught was over her sides were aching and everyone was grinning goofily at her mussed hair and red face. She finally managed to regain her composure before sending a silver laced glare at Noir.
"Uh-oh…"
Was all that was heard before one black blur raced off with a silver blur trailing like a comet.
-Line Break OF DOOM! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH-
The Hunters had packed up after Artemis returned from a none too successful bout of capture the puppy. This wasn't much of a surprise as they had once caught the wolf sleeping upside down on a tree branch 30 feet up a redwood when they stayed in California. Even with the occasional break for tag between Artemis and Noir, who still was uncaught except by Lily which was an exception, they managed to make good distance before setting up camp once again. They ended up near the Monogahela National Forest in Virginia, which was exceptional for a run even by Hunt standards. They warranted the blurring pace to Noir who seemed to have a limitless supply of energy he was very willing to display and share. They were tired none the less but the exhilaration of the run gave them a bigger high than anyone else. Breezing through the wilderness at blurring speeds fed adrenaline to them as they watched as Noir flipped and spun from branch to branch above them whenever the forest density allowed. They found a clearing that was perfect for camping almost immediately. Close to a river and away from the trees so they couldn't be ambushed. The girls, despite panting hard were happily chatting and joking. They had impromptu races the whole way through the run. It plagued Artemis to know that it would come to an abrupt end. Still they had time and she intended to make the best of it, "Girls set up and then we can go swimming!"
"Last one to the water is a rotten egg!" Thalia quickly rushed off after her announcement while one tent just magically appeared fully set up, a smirking Lily in a one piece following Noir to the water. The Hunt gaped at her as she walked past while Artemis stifled a chuckle.
"No fair!" Atlanta called. Noir just tossed a smirk over his shoulder, winked, and kept walking. She grumbled and reached for her equipment…which was missing. She looked up at an irritated looking Thalia who was eyeing the fully set up Hunter camp, including an already prepared hearth, angrily.
She turned to Noir. "And you didn't do that before BECAUSE?!"
She got a wolfish chuckle as a response, as he continued to walk to the river. It turned out to be deceptively deep as she saw the huge canine rapidly sink beneath the surface. It didn't take long before all of the Hunt was either lounging on the bank or swimming around and playing tag.
"Ladies!" was heard throughout and met with echoing groans.
"Apollo, what have I said about ogling my Hunters?" Artemis ground out.
"Ease up Lil'Sis, just delivering a quick message from Hades. He said that there was a massive disturbance form the pit. He thinks that there will be more monsters on the surface in the near future. Figured I'd come over and grace you with my awesome protection!" He flashed his famous mega-watt smile while Artemis glared at him.
"Noir." Very suddenly Apollo was face down on the ground beneath a wall of black fur. Noir sat perched on his back wagging all his tails happily as he sent a proud look to Artemis. She smiled and conjured a steak to toss to him. "Make sure he has nothing to look at either."
Noir dutifully nodded before using his tails to close off Apollo's view range of the girls. Apollo was busy whining to Arty and about how his powers weren't working. She simply smiled and flashed herself into a silver bikini so she could join her girls.
"Oh my… Artemis the virgin goddess showing that much skin? I don't think that's appropriate." Noir's sing song voice echoed in her head as she blushed and turned a glare to the wolf who was laying down with only one eye open. Mirth and teasing contained in the orb. She opened her mouth to send a scalding comment his way but before she could, "Milady DUCK!"
She didn't manage it in time as she was engulfed in an orb of clear blue liquid. The ball of water quickly rolled towards the river and rapidly lifted into the air forming the same castle he made at camp for the girls, and now her to traverse. He eventually let Apollo go but not without forcefully blinking him out and bounding into the fray, rapidly skating across the water surface and flipping between the water planets he formed. They honestly had an amazing time jumping between orbs and racing around the complex, tumbling through the hollow slides he provided wrestling, and sunbathing. Artemis decided they would have to make up for their loafing with hard work tomorrow. She still gave them an early bedtime but no one really bothered to be in their tents on the warm night. They sat by the fire side trying to find some way to stay out. Noir happily obliged and grew to colossal sizes standing a lazy 45 feet tall before flopping onto his side shaking the camp. That night the Hunt fell asleep upon their favored companion beneath the stars, leaving their normal wolves to patrol. Somehow they felt they probably didn't need it with the area in a state of peace but did so anyway. The pups were actually amusing to watch as they tried to take in the massive wolf their mistresses slept upon. It passed but not without a lot of gaping. With everything in place and the rhythmic beat of Noir's heart, the Hunt fell asleep beneath the stars. The constellation of the Huntress shining brightly down on them.
-Super Fluffy Line Break! Fear the fluff…Fear IT!-
Artemis was true to her word and after the Hunt had awoken (Though it took much coaxing to get them off the giant plush wolf) things swung into full gear. The Archery range was constantly occupied, Lily herself was standing rigidly, nailing bull's eye after bull's eye. She was constantly changing between speed firing, mobile firing, and splitting arrows. She even had Noir toss a log her way every now and again to test her reflexes. She would either nail it with multiple arrows, or she would roll out of the way. As she became more and more comfortable with speed she started slowly stacking more and more speed. She had also jogged around the camp a few times to build independent stamina so she didn't have to rely on Noir. At the sparring ring, Thalia was leading close quarters combat training with Phoebe. Every now and again when Lily was taking a break she would call over Noir and spar with him, spear and shield on claws and fangs. Truly it was terrifying because they had only seen Noir use the odd tail to swat enemies but now, having him slashing and growling, throwing sharp bites and head butts. True he wasn't going all out but it was still scary to see the normally relaxed and laid back wolf attempting mock bodily harm.
Thalia didn't win but she definitely learned to trust her gut as she narrowly dodged tail swipes that shot out at her every time the huge wolf spun away from a stab or flipped over sweeps. He had shrunk to just above average wolf size but that simply made the agile wolf harder to hit. At one point he had bounced right off Thalia's shield sending her skidding. The Hunt had only known the wolf's tender side but they had no doubt whatever pissed him off tended to leave in pieces if it managed to leave at all. Artemis was indefinitely happy that their new members were turning out to be combat adept and was just going to hope they didn't have to test how well they would perform in a practical situation.
A wasted hope as it turned out. Not 45 minutes later were they ambushed and things simply got progressively worse from there. A simple excursion for a hunt after leaving Noir to guard the camp, quickly devolved into a scramble for their lives. The managed to end up in a defensive circle leaving the younger Huntresses towards the middle as the more experienced slowly expanded the circle via close combat. Thalia was not having it with any of the monsters as she swung her spear back and forth, sending the odd telekhine flying with Aegis. She was going strong but as quickly as they fell they were replenished. At least 80 monsters had to be here, a mix between dracnae, hellhounds, laistrygonians, and telekhines, which despite losing ground were nowhere near close to being done. They had already reduced more than 30 to dust piles but they kept coming, the original 80 thought quickly turned into more than 100.
Even with Artemis by their side the Hunt was tiring quickly, and Artemis was squeezed way too close to the group to truly let loose with her powers. There was something odd about these monsters as well. Instead of the varying eyes that she typically saw in the crowd, they were all mercilessly black and soulless. The normal bloodlust and macabre glee they usually display was gone and replaced with an unusual and cold intelligence. As quickly as they engaged they fell back, the relief was short lived as from every angle spears were readied. Artemis quickly jumped as high as possible, "CLOSE YOUR EYES!" the Hunters complied as Artemis revealed her true form. Which did nothing at all.
Spears were loosed and she watched as they glinted through the air, promising pain.
A/N: AHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHA CLIFF HANGER!
Lemme know what ya think of the chapter guys. I really appreciate the reviews and on top of that your perspective helps me get YOUR perspective. Consequently it affects the writing sine I know what you don't/do like and I can possibly accommodate/augment to hopefully include your ideas and opinions. Like I said no flames yet guys but I'm always open to positive ideas and such. SO tell me whatcha think and what YOU like. Kay thanks bye =3
